The current Malagasy Migratory Locust plague started in April 2012. Rice, other crops and pasture resources for livestock are at risk of considerable damage by the locust plague, which can have a wider impact on domestic supply and cereal prices. The locust plague threatens the food and nutrition security of 13 million people in Madagascar.

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of Madagascar declared a national disaster on 27 November 2012. In December 2012, the MoA requested technical and financial assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to address the locust plague, ensure the mobilization of funds and coordinate and implement an emergency response.

In response to the plague, an emergency Programme costing USD 43.9 million (revised upwards from USD 41.5 million in September 2013 based on market prices of inputs and services at the time) for three consecutive locust campaigns (2013-2016) has been jointly prepared by FAO and the MoA in December 2012.

The first locust campaign was launched in September 2013 and will end in August 2014 during which, 1.5 million hectares are expected to be treated. This will protect crops and pastures and reduce the threat to farmers’ livelihoods that are already vulnerable on account of the plague and other factors (cyclones, droughts, political instability, etc.).

Donor response to the resource mobilization efforts made by FAO has been timely and positive. As of 28 February 2014, USD 26.2 million had been provided by the Central Emergency Response Fund of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (CERF), the European Union, and the Governments of Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Madagascar (through a World Bank loan), Norway and the United States of America.